My First Duet
by papafrap
Summary: Octavia, a traveling musician, is invited to play at the Grand Ball in Trottingham. She is honored to accept this offer, but once she arrives, reality and her expectations collide. She discovers something  somepony  special who changes her life forever.
1. Act One, Scene One: The Great City

_Note: _Every chapter in My First Duet has a music to accompany it, and is listed underneath the chapter. I recommend that you listen to it before, while, or after reading because it captures the mood of each chapter.

**My First Duet: Chapter One  
><strong>(Elgar Cello Concerto in E minor Op. 85)

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><p>Blood covered his face. I didn't realize what happened just a few minutes ago. We were fine, but he now lay bleeding to death on the floor. It happened so quickly, and it only took that split second to change my life forever. In my mind those seconds lasted for hours.<br>I pressed on the wound applying pressure, but the bleeding continued and blood seemed to spill out even faster. I could only watch, crying, as I heard the stallion's breath become weaker. Bright red blood trickled out from his mouth and snout. I held his head in my hooves praying to Celestia that this would all be just some horrible nightmare. I looked deep into his eyes and saw the sparkle of life quickly slipping away into darkness. "Please, don't die. You can't die just yet."

With the very little strength he had left, he lifted a blood-stained hoof to my face and touched my cheek. It seemed as if time froze when he spoke his final words:

"Can you hear the music, Octavia?"

Time started again, and he was gone. His cold, dead, eyes stared into the grey clouds and his mouth was curved into a smile.

I didn't know what to say, or to think. Why did they have to do this?

I held his lifeless body close to my chest, still praying that I would wake up any second now. The rain felt so real for a dream, it was freezing and kept pouring out of the sky all over me. The pain was so real because it froze my heart to the core. Everything was so real. I knew that this couldn't be a dream, but still, my heart was in denial. It couldn't be over. The world I knew seemed to shatter into fragments and scatter into oblivion.

I love him. He loves me. Our duet wasn't over just yet.

Memories from the day I first met him flashed through my mind.

* * *

><p>Several Weeks Ago<p>

* * *

><p>I'm a simple mare, getting through life by playing my cello wherever I can find a job. I don't mind the low pay, really, because music has always been my true passion. I've traveled across the world: Canterlot, Manehattan, Fillydelphia, and recently, Cloudsdale. It was difficult to find the pony who could help me get to the clouds, but it was well worth it. I wanted to see for myself if the legends were true, that the Cloudsdale Philharmonic has the most beautiful harps in all of Equestria. And it was true! It was more than just listening to the music, but a wholesome experience. I don't regret making that trip, even though I don't have two bits to rub together anymore. I'll just have to make some more money, and keep trying to find a gig.<p>

I've always been a soloist at heart, rarely joining ensembles. I've never found anypony else who enjoys music like me probably because I see music as something much more than simply notes on paper. Music is much like ponies: it has a mood, emotions, a tone and feeling. I understand it, and grow to love every piece I've played. Anyways, I've hit the jackpot this weekend - I'll be playing a solo in one of the greatest events in all of Equestria.

I reached my destination, Trottingham. It was an interesting city, to say at least. From first impressions, I could tell that this city wasn't the richest: the sidewalks were all cracked and graffiti seemed to litter every facade. I steered clear of the strange hooded ponies huddled around the dark alleyways. They used their hooves to make crude gestures and shouted derogatory phrases in my direction. I ignored them. Most ponies would be angry, but I only felt pity. Not only pity, but sadness. I remembered, nostalgically, that I was once like them before I learned the magic of music.  
>Every so often one would stare at be from behind his hood and turn away back to his gang. I wasn't scared however; I've been to shadier places than this.<p>

I walked up the main street which leads to the city's heart. Or, two hearts you could say. It struck me odd that Hoofington was split into two distinct sections. I saw that to my right was a towering skyscraper, about twenty stories high and painted red, and almost identical to my left stood a blue skyscraper. Other than these two, none of the other buildings I could see were as large or painted at all. The streets seemed deserted, void of any life or movement. Is this really the great Hoofington I've heard about?  
>I reached into my saddle and brought out the invitation to the Grand Ball. When I first read through this invitation, I was beyond thrilled. The Grand Ball was an Equestrian-wide party, only second to the Grand Galloping Gala, that's held in different places every year. It was an honor to play for everypony who would attend. I was also promised a thousand bits pay, per night! Better yet the sponsor, the extremely popular Sapphire Shores, hoofwrote this invitation herself.<p>

"Miss Octavia!" somepony yelled behind me.

Well, what a coincidence. I looked around and saw Sapphire Shores herself, escorted by four ponies with matching uniforms. This was the first time that I've seen a celebrity of such caliber pony-to-pony. She was absolutely stunning in her cerulean blue dress, perfectly accessorized with a matching parasol. She gave off an unusual radiating charm, something that I couldn't put into words.

"Luggage, Hugo." She commanded one of the ponies. Then she turned to me, "I hope that you're as excited for the Ball as I am!"

One of the ponies trotted towards me and relieved me of my saddle and cello.

"I just can't wait to show everypony my new line of dresses!" Sapphire brandished several photographs of herself to my face, "It's my best work yet!"

She chatted nonstop while we walked to the blue tower. I pretended to listen, which wasn't very hard with an occasional nod, and instead began to notice the changes in scenery. The street was no longer cracked, but smoothly paved. The walls looked as if they were recently painted, uniformly in a shade of light blue. Ponies bustled through the streets and everything seemed perfectly normal. As we walked further, the buildings gradually became larger. Lawns full of wild flowers stretched for an acre, or sometimes two. After we passed the last set of mansions, a large fence surrounding the great tower stood in front of us.

"Jasper, gates!" Sapphire ordered.

Another pony marched in front of the gate and opened the locks using magic.

We stepped inside, and the world completely changed. I could have mistaken this wonderful place for the royal Canterlot castles. Marble fountains streamed crystal clean water. The basins of these fountains were adorned with every single type of gem I'd ever known, and some that I've never seen before. Tall trees grew in neat rows around the mall, and little critters lived in the branches. Birds sang their songs as they fluttered through the air. The scene was so incredibly beautiful.

Sapphire must have seen me awestruck. "It's a bit different from the outside, isn't it?" She must have seen the confusion in my face. "Well, you can blame those ponies on the Red side. They bring down the great integrity of great Hoofington to shame. Humph!" She continued to babble on, openly yelling a few swears here and there about the Red ponies.

We walked down the golden brick road to the entrance of the tower, and I was still speechless from taking in the grandness of this place. But I did have one question that bobbled around in my head since my arrival.

"Miss Sapphire," I asked, "why is Hoofington like this?"

She was delighted at the question. "Oh, I thought you'd never ask!" She took a long breath, but stopped herself before saying anything. "Oh dear, not right now. We've arrived!"

We stood on the ground floor of the great blue tower. It was even more intimidating when I stood in front of it. Ponies in dark blue suits came in and out of the glass doors, chatting away about their business. We too went into the building and I was stuck with awe once again. The interior of the building was decorated to a greater extent than outside. Lavish is understatement to describe this place. Hundred foot pillars, made of steel and silver, supported the stain glass roof. Great murals covered every inch of the walls and the detail that went into them made me question if it was possible to be the work of one pony. The floor was an amalgam of black diamond and sapphires which glittered in the sunlight. A single gem on the floor or walls would surely be worth several million bits.

Sapphire snorted as she laughed at the dumbfounded expression sprawled on my face. "So, it's pretty isn't it?" she said sarcastically.

We walked into the elevator, which smoothly took us to the top floor. When the doors opened, we were in a large room with great portraits of Sapphire hanging from every wall.

"My floor," she said, "do you like it?"

I was amazed, but not surprised at the fact that her 'home' was not only well decorated, but also excessively large. You could fit at least three whole houses in this room alone. Additionally, I could see that she kept the finest gems for herself, from the three-foot tall diamond gem to the priceless paintings from Old Canterlot.

The elevator dinged and rolled back down to the ground floor. While distracted by the sights and sound, I didn't notice something pressing against my back. It was Sapphire, and it was clear by the position of her hooves that I was brought onto her private floor for a very specific reason. Her eyes stared at me with lust and her mouth was half open with a bit a drool forming on the bottom lip. Then it changed into devious grin.

"You know, Octavia, I've always wanted to get to know you..." she pressed her snout against my neck, "a bit better."

My throat went dry. I was surprised and confused at the same time. I was never interested in the trivialities of romances, and even less with mares. "Miss Sapphire," I stammered, "I don't think I'm that type of pony."

She continued to press against me, this time massaging my back and sides with her hooves while she stroke her tongue up to my ear. She whispered, "but maybe you'd like finding out."

I could feel her warm breath against my bear ears, and it sent a chill down my spine. "I'm sorry," I said again, this time more firmly, "I'm not that type of pony."

She sighed and backed away. "I won't force you, dear." She seemed disappointed, "But, if you ever decide to change your mind, I'm your mare to-go-to." She gave a quick wink.

My face burned red hot at the thoughts and images of her and myself in an intimate relationship. It's not like I wanted to imagine these things.

She stroked my hair in a friendly manner. "Aww, you look so adorable when you blush," she said.

I cowered away under the bangs of my mane. "I-I'm n-not adorable." It was too late to take back those words after I realized how terrible it sounded.

Sapphire responded with a high-pitched squeal. "Of course you're not," sarcastically. "Anyways, you can stay anywhere in this building as long as you'd like."

I could see that she didn't even try to hide her gestures hinting towards the grand blue bed. This mare is extremely desperate.

"A guest room, please." I just wanted to be alone right now.

She lead me to the other side of the room, where a short corridor lead to a single room. She turned the jeweled knob and lead me into the guest room. Like the rest of the building, the room was well decorated. A large bed rested in the middle of the room, and to the side was a single night stand. Opposite to the bed was a giant window, which loomed over the entire city. The silhouettes of every building and street against the bright blue sky could be seen from this height.

"It's beautiful in here, isn't it?" She continued to ramble discursively as she pointed out the individual decorations. I heard Sapphire shut the door. "Oh dear! Look at the time, I'm late! Call me if you need anything, dear." She quickly galloped away back into the main room.

I was standing alone in the quiet. I found that my cello had already been carried in here, so I checked to make sure that it was still tuned. I pulled it out from its case, making sure to not disturb its fragile frame. I mounted the bottom of the cello onto the floor, and faced the window as I prepared to play. I placed my bow on the lowest string and gently pulled down. The sound resonated well in the room, and the vibrations echoed long after the bow had stopped moving. For some reason music always calmed my soul. I would forget everything about the world around me when I played my old cello. The piece began with a melancholy mood, but halfway it turned into a joyful tune.

I faced the window, and I could see the city below me. It was grey. The buildings seemed like a lifeless sea of grey, boring like stone. The contrast between where I stood and the city below me was amazing. I stood alone in the colored room, and below I could see the many small specks of ponies scrambling in the dusty grey collage below. It was something that reminded me of the past and made me sad. The solo dipped back into sadness, but it still retained a bitter-sweetness to the end.

I played for what seemed like hours. I saw the sky gradually turn from blue to red, and then black. When the night lights were being lit, I played the last note. Once it was silent I placed my cello back into its case and rested my hooves against the bed. I haven't played that like in a long while. It was a good decision coming here; it rekindled the fire within me.

I turned off all the lights in the room and slid into the bed. That night was restless, I knew that something great lay ahead of me tomorrow.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Hello everypony! Sorry this took so long to get published. I've been a little busy recently, and I've had no free time to write. This is my first time writing a romance, but this first chapter is mostly to set the scene before I get into the actual romance itself. Visit my blog and drop a question or comment, and please leave feedback. I'll try to update as soon as possible.


	2. Act One, Scene Two: The Masked Ball

**My First Duet: Chapter Two  
><strong>(Tchaikovsky Op. 51, No. 6 Sentimental Waltz for Cello and Tchaikovsky 'The Sleeping Beauty: The Garland Waltz")

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><p>I woke up startled by something heavy falling on top of me. I opened my eyes, and in the dim light I could clearly see brilliant amber eyes staring at me. I screamed and fell out of the bed.<p>

"Oh, dear. You're adorable even when you're scared!" Sapphire said, trying to contain laughter by holding her hooves to her mouth. "Can you do it again?"

I shook away the stars spinning around my head and faced her. I wanted her to know that I was in Trottingham for business, strictly. I stood upright, held my head up high, and gave her the most serious stare I could make. It would have been perfect, only if my eyes weren't derped.

"You're killing me, Octavia!" She laughed and fell onto the carpet, and continued to roll on the floor laughing.

I sighed and gave up trying for her to take me seriously.

Sapphire immediately stood up and pointed a hoof at me, "You, filly, my dear," she trotted towards me, "we have serious business today! The Ball is... today! And we need you to look absolutely sensational!" Without another sound, she speeded out the door. I could hear her racing away and yelling back to me, "We go to the mall in ten - no five minutes!"

Finally, I could get some peace and quiet. I looked around the room and located the door to the powder room. I turned the pearly knob and entered into the marble room. Even though I was rushing to prepare, I couldn't help but notice the intricate design of the room. The wide walls were decorated with scenes of sea ponies swimming in crystalline water. The pure white marble appliances were studded with milky white pearls and diamonds. The room was even conditioned with perfume to smell like the beach.

I must have been distracted longer than I thought, because Sapphire was soon banging on the door.

"Are you looking sensational yet?"

"That wasn't even one minute!"

I could tell that she was growing impatient by the increasing frequency of her knocking. Then I heard the creak open.

"Oh, good heavens," said Sapphire, standing by the door, "you just simply can't go into the mall looking like that!" She took me by the hoof and tossed me into the tub.

She herself looked quite fabulous. Her signature sapphire blue hair had its polished sheen and her coat was thoroughly brushed and free of all knots. How she managed to dress so quickly, I'll never comprehend. She turned on the tap and let the tub quickly fill with warm water.

"Sapphire, what are you..." I didn't bother to finish my question, as Sapphire was now preparing a concoction of multiple bath salts. It wasn't bad, I admit. I've never bothered with these aspects of fine living, mostly due to constant traveling. She tossed them in, and bubbles soon began to rapidly foam. I was about to ask for her to leave so that I could bathe in privacy, until she brought out a fine brush and began to brush my coat.

"Sapphire!" I said, my face now bright red from both embarrassment and the warm waster. "I can do it myse-", I was stopped mid-sentence and almost choked on the water by the surprise. She had begun to brush my flank, which was extremely sensitive. I simply lay on the half-full tub, drowsing away in the steamy water and unable to move. When I thought she was done, she brought out even a larger brush and began to work on my mane. I've never been the type to keep my mane groomed, and as a result, it becomes a tangled mess, but somehow Sapphire managed to smooth out every knot in only a few strokes.

"Hurry up now!" She said, turning off the tap and tossing a fresh white towel at me.

I dried myself off in front of her, but oddly, I was a little embarrassed as she watched. It was nice, I suppose, to have somepony at your side - caring. A strange feeling began to emerge from within. I can only describe it as something magical that made me feel safe and not so lonely anymore. Was this what they called friendship?

"Clothes!" She grabbed my foreleg and rushed me over to her dressing room. This room was seemingly nearly endless. Hundreds of unique dresses and suits hung from the walls, side-by-side. The collage of colors seemed to make the wall look like a living rainbow, and when Sapphire began to rustle through to find me a dress, the whole room seemed to swish side-to-side with life. "Tacky!" She said, as she tossed the frilly dress aside. "This is so yesterday!" A dress embroidered with flowers was added to the pile of rejects. "Oh, my. This is perfect." In her hooves was a simple grey dress. It wasn't frilly or flowery, instead it was very formal and almost intimidating. I absolutely loved it. Not only did it reflect the seriousness of the occasion, but also the youthfulness of myself. It still retained its feminine charm, something that no other outfits seemed to do.

"My little cellist!" She squealed with excitement while holding the dress up between herself and me. "I can imagine it now! The lights, the people - the music!"

I smiled at her. "Thank you," I said, "for everything." I walked with her deeper into the dressing room, this time searching for shoes. I saw many jewel embedded stilettos and crystal glass heels, but none of them matched the simplicity of the dress.

Still looking through the wardrobes for matching shoes, she asked me, "What? Thanks for what, my dear?"

"Inviting me to stay, for the food, for the clothes - everything." I thought that it would be obvious. She has been so kind to me out of the goodness of her heart.

She popped her head out with a pair of grey shoes between her teeth. "Well, that's what friends do!"

"We...," I stammered, "we're friends?" I hadn't really thought about friendship, as I've never had a friend before. Sapphire's face became downcast when I said those words. I didn't mean to imply that we weren't friends - I would never even think that!

Then she started to laugh. "Of course silly filly!" She wrapped her forelegs around me and adjusted the dress here and there. "Of course!" She guided me down to the main hall and into the elevator.

The bells in the small villages below could be heard ringing lightly through the heavy walls.

"Noon!" Sapphire shouted. "Noon already! We don't have much time. If we don't get to the mall right now, the afternoon rush is going to buy everything before we get a chance to even look at the new saddlepacks! Oh, dear, I have so much to show you and we just don't have nearly enough time! And we most certainly have to buy matching masks for our dresses; it is a masquerade ball after all!"

The doors opened, and we were once again in the atrium. She called out to somepony, "Butler! Butler, prepare a carriage for Octavia and me right away!"

In only a few minutes, a silver carriage pulled by four strong stallions rolled in front of us. I stepped inside cautiously, as I've never traveled by carriage before. It was larger than I thought, enough to easily fit four mares my size. Sapphire boarded right behind me and we speeded out the gates to the city.

The scenery out the window was a blur of colors, and I couldn't really make anything out clearly. It was beautiful, however. Nature extended to the fences around the tower, and life reflected in the sunlight. It reminded me of impressionistic art - only the combination of the fine small details create the whole picture. These small details, each tree, each bush, and each blade of grass painted the image before me. We rolled down, further away from the tower and colors faded to grey as we reached deeper into the city. The sunlight also gradually dimmed, with the sun slowly being obscured by the clouds. Everything seemed a bit darker and a bit lifeless.

"Here we are, Miss Sapphire," one of the drivers called out.

"Thank you, sirs." She turned to me, grabbed my hoof and leaded me out into the streets.

I noticed that the roads were quite grainy, and I assumed that they probably have never been paved before. Everything around me was either dirty brown or a dusty grey, from the herds of ponies in their rags to the muddy streams of water dripping down from the broken roofs. I could no longer see anything bright, or colorful at all.

I was unsure why she brought me to this place. This was supposed to be a 'high class' shopping experience, "Err… Sapphire, this place doesn't seem - like I imagined."

She giggled a little. "Oh, Octavia, looks can be deceiving. You just don't know what treasures you can find from unexpected places like here."

She guided me deeper into the heart of the grey buildings, and we came to a round street with shops on either side. The keepers of the stores shouted their wares, some of which surprised me:

"Diamonds! Get your quality gems and jewels!"  
>"Get your homeknit socks! They're the new fashion these days!"<br>"Hay fries, quality hay fries here. Two bits a box!"

I was impressed. "There's everything I could imagine wanting buying somewhere in this street!" Ponies conversed with each other, sharing laughter. It was odd to think that this was the same lifeless city that I passed by in the carriage.

"That's true, dear, but I brought you here because the most important thing can only be found here in the heart of this old market."

I looked around to the largest stands, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Anypony could buy pies, oranges, and quartz anywhere in Equestria. "What's that?"

But when I turned to look at her, she was already busy haggling with the hat merchant. I put the question in the back of my head along with the hundreds of other unanswered ones. I raced to catch up to her, who at this time had two bags full of new hoofknit cloths.

* * *

><p>Later that evening<p>

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><p>"Ugh, please tell me we didn't forget anything this time!" I said, extremely tired after this third trip to the mall. I have always disliked shopping because it was tedious, unproductive, and plain old boring, but today was different. Was it because I was with her? Or was it because of the new experience? Either way, I wouldn't have minded making a fourth trip. I could wholeheartedly say that I loved this afternoon.<p>

"I triple checked this time!" She said. "I'm really sure this time!"

We were back in her house, making the final touches to our new dresses. She rummaged through the new piles of hats and scarves, looking for the one to perfectly match her majestic dress. The dress by itself was already spectacular, however it was a bit too - revealing - for my personal tastes.

"See down there?" Sapphire pointed to the small purple building down between the blue and red towers. I hadn't noticed it before in the day, but it now sparkled in the twilight hours. "That's the city hall, Trottingham's first building. That's where we'll be soon."

It was beautiful, like an amethyst gem glowing between the rough grey buildings. In the distance stood the red tower, equally intimidating as the blue tower which we stood in. Sapphire must have noticed that I was looking at it. We both knew that the question had to be answered now. So, I asked her. "Sapphire, do you remember I had a question when I first came here?"

She sighed. "Yes." She put everything down in a pile and looked me directly in the eye. "I guess that I have to tell you sooner or later." She looked down solemnly. "You know, Hoofington used to be a lot better a few generations ago. Everypony, and I mean everypony, knew each other and cared for each other. It was a wonderful time, and I dearly miss it. Sometimes, when I see everypony only caring about their gems and bits, I think that the Hoofington I live in now will never change back - all because of **that**."

"That?"

"That thing; that thing that split our dear city forever." From her saddlepack, she brought out a small portrait yellowing with age. A pale yellow mare dressed with sapphires stood next to a tall deep purple stallion dressed with garnets. "Hoofington was founded by these two ponies. Everything was in harmony, until one day something terrible happened that caused them to fight and eventually split apart."

"What happened?"

"Love. That's what happened, my dear." She carefully placed the portrait down. "My great-grandmother, this mare, was cheated by that stallion. And ever since, my family has been burdened to uphold her honor."

"That's terrible! I mean, that the stallion would do such a thing!"

"But, it's the truth. I tried to tolerate those ponies, but I just can't bring myself to forgive them - especially since they deny that their great-grandfather ever cheated her! In fact, they blame us for their faults! Why if her were still alive I wo-"

She was about to continue with the rants, but one of the ponies from before interrupted us. "Miss Sapphire, your carriage awaits."

She saw that I now had hundreds of more questions, but there was no time to answer them any of them just now. She simply gave me a warning. "Just stay away from the ponies in red."

I followed her to the carriage silently, shocked by how serious the warning was. Once again, I boarded the vehicle, but this time our drivers were dressed in fine golden armor embedded with sparkling blue gems. The door shut, and we headed towards the bright purple building in the distance. I looked out the window once again, but the scenery was nothing like the first time. It was pitch dark, and I couldn't make anything out that was covered in the shroud of darkness. As a filly, I was afraid of the dark. Maybe just a little still. Only a little bit. The darkness was mystifying, but I knew that beyond the darkness was the same beautiful world I've seen this morning.

The lights from the city hall grew brighter as we approached it. The scene out the window became clearer. I could see from a distance that it was a modest building with rounded walls with a glass dome that opened up to the night sky. We gradually came to a halt to the violet carpet in front of the entrance.

"We're here!" Sapphire said, as she opened the door. Crowds of ponies from all over Equestria cheered as she stepped out into the spotlight.

I could hear the ponies cheering for her. "It's her!"  
>"She's beautiful!"<br>"But, who's that behind her?"

Suddenly, their attention was fixated onto me. I blushed a little, taken aback by this sudden attention.

"Dear, you can't be shy now!" Sapphire said, as she pulled me out forcibly. We trotted down the red isle into the heart of the building. The flashes of cameras made me extremely dizzy, and I was surprised that I hadn't teetered away into the sides walking blinded. When my vision returned, I saw ponies dancing in ballroom. I noticed that there were no precious stones lining the floors or walls. Instead, every inch of the walls was simply painted in a single layer of the colors of the rainbow. The lack of excessive dressing didn't bother me at all because the atmosphere of the room was much different than back at the blue tower. Ponies danced happily with each other hoof-in-hoof. They laughed and cheered while drinking glasses of sarsaparilla. Nopony seemed to care that the ceiling wasn't sparking at its finest or that the floor creaked in one or two spots. Instead, they just seemed to be enjoying each other's company. It was just so… different from the blue tower.

I found my place up on the stands in the center of the room. The ensemble had just finished warming up with their first waltz.

"Good luck," said Sapphire, as she headed off into the crowds, "I know you'll be wonderful!"

I walked my way through the densely packed sea of huddled ponies. Suddenly, something caught my eye. Or more accurately, somepony. He was a stallion with a pale white coat. I couldn't see his face behind the mask, but I saw that he was staring back at me. What was it that made me notice him out of all the hundreds of masked ponies here? Time seemed to stop for that split-second and I took in all the fine details: from the shape of his smoothly combed mane to his sleek hooves. An image of him formed in my head, and it stuck. He wasn't just any other stallion, but I couldn't explain for sure what made him special to me. Time resumed when somepony bumped into me.

"I'm so sorry, madam," said the stallion who must have walked into me.

I accepted his apology and turned back to where that mysterious stallion was. But he was gone. I looked around at the crowds, but I could no longer find any trace of him. He had disappeared just as mysteriously as he had appeared, but where could he have gone? I shook my head. Why did it matter? It was just somepony who happened to look my way. It was probably nothing more than that. Although I told myself that, the thought of that stallion still lingered in my mind and refused to leave.

I walked onto the stage and found my spot in the front. I found my instrument already waiting for me. This was my solo, my time to shine for everypony to hear. I placed the bow on the string and the music began to flow from my head to my hooves, and then to the audience.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>**: **Hello everypony! Sorry this chapter took so long, but I've had lots of tests recently (6 in two days). I hadn't much time to write because of studying. Now, I do have time! So I'll try to update this a.s.a.p. Also, I'm wondering if I should continue this fanfiction due to the lack of interest, as compared to the other fics that I've written. Please leave a comment! It really motivate me as a writer!


	3. Act One, Scene Three: The Two Towers

**My First Duet: Chapter** **Three**  
>(Song Without Words Mendelssohn Op. 109)<p>

* * *

><p>I felt the strings vibrate under my hooves. It was the same rhythmic hum that I remembered as a filly when I first discovered music. Things haven't changed much since: the love for my cello, the love for my music, and especially the love for solos.<p>

My tempo, intonation, and musicality are just perfect. I played my heart out in that solo and I enjoyed every single note. Ponies around me stopped dancing to watch in awe for the finale. After the cadenza, the final note was played and the whole room was completely silent. Then the applause came. It was like a stampede, hooves clacking loudly against the old wooden boards.

I saw Sapphire in the crowd. "That's my Octavia," she said to everypony, "so magnificent!"  
>I took a slow bow to the crowd, all of them cheering for an encore. I could see smiles on their faces that the music has brought them, and it made me grin.<p>

Then I heard a sweet melody playing from somewhere in the room. Everypony must have heard it too, as they began to hush down. Where was this beautiful music coming from? I looked wildly around the small room for anypony with an instrument. The melody was played, no doubt, by a violin. It was sweet and mellow, and the beauty of the harmonious sounds almost made me break into tears.

There he was! I looked up to the glass ceiling and saw the silver lining of a pony's silhouette shining brightly against the full moon. In one of his hooves was a violin, the other a bow. It only took me another second to realize that the mysterious musician was in fact the same white coated stallion from the crowds. He was a musician and an amazing one too!

I was overcome with some strange emotion from deep within. I wanted, desired, to find out who this stallion was. I've never felt something this strong; it made my heart beat rapidly. The emotion was an unbearable urgency, and I could no longer wait silently. I raised my bow once more, this time hoof shaking in anxiety. I played along with him, matching his tone and supporting his musical clauses. Together, we produced music greater than either of us could create individually. This was my first duet. We conversed in the same language without words. We both understood each other's deepest wishes and desires through music.

We finished our last notes and the audience clopped against the floor, louder than before. Some of them were bawling on the floor, overcome by the musical miracle that they had just witnessed. I looked again at the sky and managed to see a glimpse of the mysterious violinist make his escape.

"No! Wait!" I thought to myself. I had so much to ask him, so much to learn from him, and never before in my life so much love for another pony. I put down my cello and ran outside to follow him. I saw him run outside the building and through the grey streets. There he was; leaping from rooftop to rooftop.

"Wait!" I yelled. He didn't stop, so I hopelessly chased after him. He turned one corner, then to another. I traveled blindly through the labyrinthine grey city, barely able to keep up with his shadow. I was aware of the near impossibility of the situation, that I would be able to discover the identity of my one true love. My body wouldn't stop chasing after him, and love kept me strong. But after pursuing him for an eternity, the only trace of him remained in my imagination. The world was silent around me. I could no longer hear the sound of his hooves, or the sound of his tail swooshing.

It was then when I reality returned. I had wandered deep into the black ghettos. I was afraid of the things I thought I saw lurking in the shadows, even if nothing was there in reality. The moonlight didn't shine here. The facade of every building was darker than the night. There were no streets, but instead a trodden dirt path. I should get back to the Ball; there was nopony in sight.

"Hey, little filly."

My heart skipped a beat. I turned around to look for who had said that. Behind me emerged a short, fat, stallion from the shadows dressed in rags. I was about to scream, but he shoved his hoof into my mouth.

"Oh, you're not going to make a single noise." He said, waving the blade of a knife in front of my face. He pushed me into an alley and threw me onto the mud. "You seem to be new around here." He ripped off my dress. "Let me show you around."

I was shaking violently in fear. Oh Celestia, please, no… don't!

I could only see the outline of his jagged teeth as he looked down at me between his forelegs. "We're going to have lots of fun tonight." The only thing that was clear that night was his intentions. He started to rub my neck with his dirty hoof and slowly moved his way down to my stomach.

The very thought of somepony treating my body like this was revolting. I closed my eyes and braced myself for what he was going to do next. But nothing happened. I opened my eyes and saw that somepony had tossed him off of me.

"She's mine! I got her first!" The stallion yelled, charging at my savior with the dagger.

Whoever this pony was, he skillfully dodged each swing. His movements were like a dance, moving in perfect tempo and not missing a single step. He raised his hoof and struck the fat stallion on his shoulder. I knew by the loud crack that a forearm had been shattered.

"Aghhh," the fat pony screamed out in pain. He limped away on his other legs, swearing loudly. "Ponyfeathers! I'll get you good!"

The sounds of his gait faded away, and the world became silent again. The pony walked towards me, and I was unsure of how to react. The clouds drifted away from the moon and light slowly began to illuminate his face. My eyes grew wide when I saw the mask on his face - it was him! It was the stallion I've been chasing for. His pure white coat shone brightly, almost magically, in the moonlight. His cutie mark, a blue treble clef, matched mine.

"Are you hurt?" He said, reaching out a hoof.

I grabbed his hoof and responded, "No, I'm fine." I was far too mystified by this pony to brush the dirt off of myself.

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have run away here…"

"No, I shouldn't have followed you. It wasn't right of me to do that."

He looked down at the ground, pawing at the dirt shyly.

I had to ask him now, or I would never get this chance again. "Who are you?"

"I'm just a musician at heart."

I took a step closer and stared into his eyes behind the mask. Our faces were barely touching. I slowly reached up to his face and touched his mask. I asked him. "May I?"

He stood tall and nodded.

I pulled off his mask and saw his face. No words could describe the feelings I felt then. Handsome wasn't simply enough to describe him. I could see in his kind eyes that he was a genuine and true pony. They were bright gold in color and pure like his heart. I blushed a little when I noticed that our hooves were touching. The warmth from his body kept spread throughout my body, and my body became warmer as our lips came closer to each other.

I didn't know what to do, but me being myself had to ask: "May I?"

"We can't deny our hearts' desires."

He pressed his lips on mine passionately. Who was this stranger, who I didn't know at all? And what was this love? We just stood there embracing each other under the bright moonlight. I leaned inwards to his warmth, away from the cold world. It wasn't silent anymore, no, there was music playing in my head. I never knew what love could be, and I could never understand the magic of music that all those old composers tried to express on paper. Love and music was now the same thing. This epiphany, the realization of the truth, struck me like a lightning bolt.

I could hear somepony shouting off in the distance. "Octavia! Octavia, where are you?" I immediately recognized Sapphire's voice.

"It sounds like somepony is looking for you." He took a step away.

I didn't want this moment to end. "Please, don't leave. Stay with me."

"I can't," he said, looking sad, "it won't be safe for either of us if I do."

"Octavia!" The yelling grew louder.

I ignored Sapphire, and continued to speak to the pony, "But, what's your name?"

"Oberon. My name is Oberon." He grabbed his saddle, which must have contained his violin, and he climbed up a flight of stairs onto a roof.

I had so many questions, but none of them would be answered. "Wait!" I called out to him. I clumsily followed after him. I could see him about two roofs away, looking back at me. "Will I ever see you again?"

He was quiet for a moment, but then answered me. "Nothing can separate us. Just listen for the music, and we shall find each other again." He leaped away into the dark horizon. Then he was gone.

"Octavia, there you are!"

"Sapphire!" I tried to act excited.

She ran up to me and hugged me, "Dear, my dear! You had me so worried! Look at you, you're all dirty… and what happened to your dress? This is a crime against fashion, my dear! We should get away from this place right away; it is no place for a pony of our statuses to be! No, no, good heavens what other ponies would think of us if we were caught lounging around in this place!"

I didn't want to hear anymore of her discursive babbles. Instead, I stared off into the distance hoping to catch just one more glimpse of that mysterious stallion.

We walked down and back into the street. On the floor was Oberon's discarded mask. I quickly snatched it without Sapphire noticing and held hidden close to my heart.

* * *

><p>The next day<p>

* * *

><p>I feverishly tried to lay out the details of last night in my head. No matter how hard I tried to piece together the fragments of memories the whole picture would fall apart. All I could remember for sure was to listen to the music.<p>

"Dear?" Sapphire said, as she peeked into my room. "Are you alright? You've been in your room all morning."

I looked at the clock. It was already five in the afternoon. "I'm fine, Sapphire."

She stepped into the room. "If you need anypony to talk to about last night, I'm always here for you."

"It's okay Sapphire."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." I was a bit annoyed, I just wanted to be alone right now.

"Would some shopping get your mind off things?"

"Yea. Sure, it might." I didn't know what to think. All I wanted now was to find that stallion again, and his mysterious clue was all I could think about. How could music bring me back to him. What music did he mean? The more I thought about music, the more depressed I became. I was making absolutely no progress in my search for him. I began to doubt that I would be able to find him ever again.

I was occupied in these thoughts and could not escape them. Everything around me didn't matter anymore. The details of the great blue tower no longer interested me. Neither did the picturesque scenery of the gardens. I sighed. Our carriage was ready and we both rode into the great city.

I looked out the window of the carriage glumly. The sun was setting, and the skies were slowly changing from blue to red. We came to a stop in front of the same market from yesterday. Everything and everypony here seemed to be the same from before; they walked the same, they talked the same, and they haven't changed at all. But something was different. The world around me seemed to be darker and move slower. Was it me who changed?

"Sapphire," I said, tapping her shoulder, "I'm going to look around by myself for a bit."

She looked at me seriously. "Be careful. And if anything happens, just call out for me."

"Sure."

I wandered away, browsing the trinkets in one tent. Jewels didn't interest me. I moved down further to the bakery. The ponies behind the stalls shouted their wares - loaves of all different kinds of breads. I smelled delicious hay fries, my favorite, but even they couldn't break my depression.

I wandered away from market and into the streets. I didn't know where I was going, or if I would go anywhere at all. I wandered the streets, making random turns every so often.

That was when I heard the sound of a violin. It was soft and distant, but I was sure that it was a violin. I followed the sound of the music to the other side of the town. I galloped towards the music as fast as I could, and the unpainted grey buildings were replaced with red. I stopped in my tracks immediately. This was the red ponies' territory, and Sapphire made sure I knew not to ever enter this place. The sound of the violin still played and I knew that he was near.

"I'm sorry, Sapphire." I whispered to myself and as if she could hear me. I ran even more quickly. The light red buildings became a crimson blur as I raced through the streets. I knew now that the music could only be emanating from one place: the red tower. I didn't care about Sapphire's warning anymore. As the sounds became well defined, I knew that it was him who was playing the violin.

I was stopped by the red bars that encircled the tower. Beyond the gates was a garden, like the blue tower's, where trees and wildlife grew freely in the open. In the distance, I could see a stallion upon a stand holding a violin. It was him! It was Oberon! But, why was he here? Who was this pony? In front of his was an audience of ponies, about twenty. I followed the gates and moved to a closer position where I could see him clearer. He looked the same as from last night: graceful head held up high, shiny flowing mane rolling down from his head, and smiling cheerfully as he played. He finished the piece and bowed his head to the applauding crowd.

A large pony, dressed in a blood red suit, stepped up to the stand. "What a wonderful performance by our very own Oberon!" He waved his hoof over to Oberon. "And a wonderful way to end our evening." He paused for a moment. "Before we leave to our rooms, let's applaud the young prince once more!"

Prince? He's a prince? My mouth was agape in astonishment.

When Oberon left the stage, a crowd of mares circled around him, cheering and begging to him.  
>"Marry me now!"<br>"He's my prince!"  
>"No! He's mine!"<p>

All of those mares irritated me. Was this jealousy? Of course it was! I loved him, but did he love me? I watched hopelessly as the mares chattered around him, flirting.

"Now, now, fillies," said the pony in the red suit, "the prince needs his space." He shooed away the mares, who then ran into the building, giggling away.

"Thank you, father." Oberon said to the stallion.

So, that was his father! That must mean that the stallion was the king of the red ponies. Or, at least that's what I thought it meant.

"May I have a moment alone, father?"

"Of course, son." He turned around to the crowd. "Let's all return home, everypony!" All the ponies followed Oberon's father into the building.

I stared at Oberon, standing alone with his violin in the field. He looked left, then right, searching for somepony. Then he looked directly at me. Without delay, he ran towards me and pressed his hooves against the gate that separated us.

"I told you that music would bring us together." He said, smiling.

"But, how did you know that I would find you?"

"I didn't. But I would have played every single day out here, just for you."

My face grew red. Somepony, playing just for me?

"I hope you understand," he said, "why I couldn't stay longer last night. The blues and reds would have looked down on both of us if we were seen together."

"I understand." Unfortunately, I really did understand.

He looked down. "It's a burden that I was born to carry."

I reached through the bars and touched his hoof. "Oberon. D-do you love me?" It took all my courage to ask him that.

My heart leapt when he smiled. "Of course, I do, for ever and ever and ever and ever."

"Four evers?"

"Forever."

I chuckled at his pun. My heart was at ease, seeing him again and knowing that he loved me too.

"It's getting late."

I looked up to the sky, which was now starting to turn black. The moon glowed faintly in the cloudless sky. The crickets began to sing their night songs and the wind died down to a calm breeze. A loud thud sounded near me. Oberon had climbed over the fence and landed to my side.

"A gentleman always makes sure his lady is safe." He cuddled my mane with his snout. It was the first time anypony had done that; in fact, he was my first for many things. He shared my first love, my first kiss, and my first duet. I never knew that the kindness of strangers could be this wonderful.

We walked together back to the blue tower, enjoying each other's presence and deeply in love.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Hello everypony! Thanks for taking time to read this chapter. As you can probably tell from the chapter titles, this story is divided into acts and scenes. There are three scenes in an act, and so, the first act is done. I'm not sure if I will continue on this story for the time being, because of unpopularity. I will continue this in the future, but for now I will begin working on a mystery/horror fic. If you have any questions or comments, please leave one in the reviews or on my blog. Thanks!


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